Strength Training for Rider Fitness


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Strength Training for Rider Fitness

Hi, I’m Laura Crump Anderson. And I’m an Equestrian Fitness Specialist with InForm Fitness. My name’s Cameron Rouse and I’m an Equestrian Fitness Specialist here at InForm Fitness.

We started a strength training program targeted toward an equestrian because both Cam and I are equestrians. We have been through the physical demands that are required of a rider and realized very quickly that what we’re doing. We expect our horses to be athletes and we don’t put the same pressure on ourselves. This is most important for the equestrian rider because you know that strength training in general across the board, everyone needs the strength training, but we want to help our riders get strong so that they’re able to compete to their athletic potential.

During a session a client will come in to the studio and they will get on different equipment. They will work to a point of muscle failure. Our goal is to fatigue the muscle so deeply that it needs the time for rest and recovery, so that you are stronger the next time you sit on your horse.  That’s why this protocol is only 20 minutes once or twice a week for the rider. We have such demanding schedules. We have to be in and out of the barn most days of the week. We’re doing a lot of different things with our body physically, but we don’t have the time to be engaging in an hour of exercise most days of the week. Strengthening your body, so that you can perform better in the saddle is just as important for the person who’s out competing at the 4 Star Level Events, at the Show Jumping Grand Prix, or Dressage Riders. It’s just as important for them as it is for the person who’s going out for a hack on Saturdays.

We have developed a equestrian membership to allow for the flexibility needed of the equestrian schedule. We have developed packages varying in sizes, so that you can come in and do a program consistently. We book about 30 minutes and then 20 minutes about is going to be in the studio working on the machines. We highly fatigue each muscle group, so it’s a very intense 20 minutes. Once you get through it, you feel powerful and stronger. We know that our clients are improving because we take iPads to each machine and we keep track of your time under load. Typically in every session we’re going to include the leg press that’s going to be working all the muscles of your lower body including your trunk. Another great one that I love is the lat pulldown which really works on your upper body posture. In addition, we also focus on the spine and core, so we have a back extension machine that is really super helpful in eliminating an individual’s chronic pain that they feel.  We also have an abdominal machine which is absolutely key for building a strong center.

At InForm Fitness, we find it really important to have measurable results. One way we do that is through quarterly test.  We show the client’s increase in weight over time, but another big piece that is equally important is using are Body Machine. This is an excellent machine because it can show your percent body fat as well as your fat mass and skeletal muscle mass. This is a huge piece of the puzzle because we can show you exactly where your starting to after you’ve been doing this program for six weeks, three months, and six months the results that you’re getting in a quantifiable way.

Testimonial

“I definitely would recommend it. I have recommended it to a bunch of my friends from backyard Riders and up to my upper level riders, just because it’s so all-encompassing.  It makes you stronger as a rider, but also in your other fitness goals too. it’s short and you can fit into your crazy schedule.

Definitely I would say come on in bring your skepticism bring your skepticism and your questions and we will do our best to help you have a better understanding of what we do here at InForm because it really is crucial, especially to the horseback rider people can tell within the first two or three sessions that WOW, this really does work for me!


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Failure Is The Only Option


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Failure Is The Only Option

Failure.  This one little word generally has a negative connotation attached to it, yet in the world of exercise, strength training ‘to (muscle) failure’ is the goal.  Training to failure means the trainee loads the muscles through a pain free range of motion to the point of absolute muscular exhaustion, i.e., the inability to move the weight, even another inch, with safe and proper form.

In my day-to-day work as an exercise instructor at InForm Fitness in Manhattan, NY, it is not uncommon to hear a client say, “I don’t like to fail”.  The idea of exercising to muscular exhaustion (failure), for many, is discouraging and leaves them feeling quite negative.

It is important to reorient yourself from what you generally think of the word “failure” to mean and think of it as a pathway to success.  C.S. Lewis has said, “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement”. While I am pretty sure he didn’t have strength training in mind, I think it applies beautifully.

The goal is to always try for one more repetition (with safe and proper form) even if you do not think you can. Should you complete that repetition you must try again, always working for even just one more inch. This tremendous effort sends the signal to your brain to make your existing muscle fibers stronger.  Unfortunately, should the trainee try to avoid muscle failure and therefore avoid the discomfort, they would never illicit the response they need  to achieve all the wonderful benefits of strength training.  Simply put,  failure is the only option.

So, remember, with this new paradigm, strength training to failure is not a sign of weakness. Quite the contrary, it is a sign of strength, and of more strength to come.


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“Muscle: The Fountain of Youth”


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Muscle: The Fountain of Youth

The true, universal value of exercise boils down to only one thing – your quality of life. Our functional ability and stamina depend on our physical strength – the more we have, the more we can do, and the better we will age (and the more fun we will have doing it). Put simply, use it or lose it.

As modern professionals, we do it all these days: career, family, interests, social networks, higher personal development, etc. But if meaningful exercise isn’t carved out, do know that your quality of life takes the hit. Whether that hit presents in your real-time, day-to-day living or in the ultimate cultivation of a possibly-avoidable, better managed, or even reversible genetic pre-dispositions. You will pay the opportunity cost somehow, at some time.

While we continue to be a visually oriented society, having long exercised predominately to “lose weight,” the presumption is often still that if we look good, we feel good, and as a corollary, are fit and healthy. That presumption is dead wrong, so even if just for a moment, ditch the notion of exercise having anything to do with what’s attractive, and focus on your health.

More skeletal muscle, in conjunction with a balanced diet will ensure that your insulin levels remain steady and suppressed. Alternatively, high insulin triggers your stress hormones, adrenaline, and epinephrine to activate a process to store large amounts of fat. Insulin blocks fat metabolism and directs sugar to be stored as fat, and the resulting body composition will put you at greater risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, obesity and sarcopenia.

If you’re one of the millions of women suffering from osteoporosis (or at risk), building muscle directly increases bone density by putting increased stress on the bones, making them stronger, healthier, and less prone to fractures and breaks. Not only does increased bone density slow the devastating bone loss associated with getting older, it also helps to counteract any future loss by building additional bone matter. Your new muscle mass will also serve to protect your bones, guarding them against injury and cushioning the blow in case of a fall.

Aesthetically, well-developed back and shoulder muscles will improve posture, toned arm and leg muscles, calves too, improves appearance (and helps prevent the formation of varicose veins), pectoral muscles enhance the lift of the bust, etc. If you are after a younger looking, more vibrant feminine body, you want more muscle. And, added muscle improves our appearance with definition and helps to fight gravity, holding up our desirable body fat in the right places.

Building muscle is the best way to proactively combat the myriad problems associated with ageing. Indeed, osteoporosis, diabetes, diminished cardiac function, weight gain, glucose insensitivity, joint pain, loss of balance and injury, can be traced back to perpetual muscle loss. Logically then, one of the best things you can do to protect your overall health is to build muscle. Remember that our skeletal muscles serve as the engine, chassis, and shock absorbers of our bodies.

Exercise can only do three things: stimulate our body’s growth hormone mechanism (build muscle), prevent the physical improvements we seek (overtraining), or produce injury (getting hurt). So how do we build muscle?

The simplicity of the InForm Fitness is genius – slow-motion strength training requires that our Clients perform weight-bearing exercise as intensely as they can, with as much control and focus as they can, both briefly and infrequently. In exchange for an albeit challenging and highly focused 20 minutes once or twice a week, you can avoid spending hours each week in the gym and instead enjoy your free time to live the life you want. Science based and evidence backed, this workout produces amazing results.

InForm Fitness is not an athletic gym, or the typical personal exercise Studio. All sessions are private, one-on-one with a Strength Training Instructor and scheduled by appointment only. InForm Fitness offers revolutionary program for people with demanding schedules, who want optimal results in minimum time.


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Caesar Salad Recipe


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Nicole’s Homemade Mayonnaise

Facing the ugly truth, I had to give up Hellman’s, being 92% soybean oil. But I loved the taste, texture, consistency, look, smell, and feel of Hellman’s, to say nothing of BLTs, and couldn’t find a substitute I liked. Once I did, I realize it’s not the bread but the Hellman’s that makes the BLT taste like it does, so I liberally now spread the mayo on two lettuce leaves, slice the tomatoes on, salt and pepper, and then layer on the bacon.

I did some experimenting and settled on the following recipe:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s)
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup light olive oil (Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil)

Put all the ingredients in the glass tumbler that comes with the immersion blender or a similar one (but not narrower). Put the dry ingredients (dry mustard and ground white pepper) in first and then the apple cider vinegar and stirred it just enough to make sure that the dry ingredients won’t clump together. Then drop in the whole egg; then pour in the oil.

Let sit for a minute or two while the oil rises to the top. Place the immersion blender in so that it sits firmly on the bottom of the glass container. Set it to the highest speed and turn on. Hold the glass with your other hand. Do NOT pull the blender up and down or out and around, just allow it to set at the bottom of the container. In a little less than a minute, the mixture will emulsify and look like mayo. Then gently move the blender up and down a few times to incorporate any remaining oil.

My experiments have revealed the following: Two eggs are one too many for one 1 cup of oil. You won’t get the proper thickness with two. Apple cider vinegar is better than lemon juice, in my opinion on taste. Dry mustard is better than Dijon, same, just tastes better to me. White pepper is better than. The real secret is the light olive oil; Bertolli and Filippo Berio work fine.

And, since, I have coming increasingly to prefer AVOCADO OIL and the kick lime juice instead of Vinegar.

My best Caesar Salad Dressing Ever

Blend:

  • 1 cup Nicole’s Homemade Mayo
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon Juice, or raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s)
  • 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, or coconut vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 anchovy filets (if “yuck,” use 1 tablespoon Capers)
  • 4 garlic cloves (or 2, to taste)
  • ½ cup fresh grated high-quality parmesan
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup olive or avocado oil, to be drizzled into blender last slowly

Later, add another ½ cup fresh grated high-quality parmesan to 3 cleaned and slice organic Romaine hearts when tossing salad! You should have plenty of dressing left for a dip or another salad to serve 6!

EXTRAS:

  • 1 cup Marcona Almonds, Pine Nuts or Walnuts – adds protein, fat and fiber! Imported from Spain, Marcona are the “Queen of Almonds.”
  • Thinly sliced red onions
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Bacon
  • Chicken, Salmon or Shrimp


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Carnitas Burrito Bowl


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Carnitas Burrito Bowl

 
I had Chipotle on Saturday and all i could taste was salt.  It’s still all I can taste.  So I’m cooking my own version of their burrito bowls for meal prep this week.
Ingredients:
4 lbs Pork Butt
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 head cauliflower, riced
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
juice of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoons cilantro

Inform Fitness: Carnitas Burrito Bowl

Pork
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix spices in a bowl and stir until fully combined.  CAREFULLY carve pork but into 3 to 4 inch cubes.  Remove excess fat, but don’t cut away all of the fat, the fat will enhance flavor.  In a dutch oven over medium high heat, heat oil.  In batches, sear pork cubes about 2 to 3 minutes a side.  You don’t want to crowd the pot, or else the meat will steam instead of sear. Don’t rush this part, take your time and sear all sides of cubes.  Once all of the pork is cubed, add all pieces to the dutch oven and add about 1/2 cup of water.  Place dutch oven into oven and cook for 4 hours.
2) Fast forward 4 hours, remove pork from oven and pull apart with a fork.
For nutritional info, 1 serving is 4.5 oz of meat
Cauliflower rice
Add cauliflower, salt and pepper to taste, to pan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  Saute over medium high heat until tender.  Remove from heat and add lime juice and cilantro stirring throughout.
Fajita vegetables
Slice veggies long ways and saute over oil on medium high heat until tender
Serve veggies and carnitas over cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
Nutrition: Calories, 305; Fat, 14.5 grams; Protein, 36 grams, Carbohydrates, 13 grams

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Are you Clean about your KETO or just talking Dirty?


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Dirty vs Clean Keto

The Ketogenic Diet is a strategic macro-nutrient distribution of daily food intake designed to switch the body’s metabolic state from Glycolysis, whereby glucose from carbohydrate intake fuels the body’s energy needs, to Ketosis, whereby fat is burned for fuel in the absence of the carbohydrates. Once your body no longer relies on glucose as a primary energy source, your liver starts to convert fat into ketones to fuel both body and brain. The macro-nutrient distribution is roughly 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates. Easier said than done and deceptively dangerous!

Keto approached in either one of two ways will produce aggressive fat loss yet yield drastically opposing impacts on body and brain. Knowing the difference is not as simple as differentiating between “clean” versus “dirty” approaches, but rather appreciating that the foods our macros come from matter! From the potentially lethal to life-changing health benefits, ketosis can serve up either.

“Dirty keto” evolved with our modern eating habits to indiscriminately favor convenient, cheap and processed fat, with blind regard for the source. Butter, bacon, and excessive amounts of oils are ketogenic, yes, but absolutely reckless. Indiscriminate sourcing also lacks micro-nutrients vital to overall health and is laden with highly processed foods – “hello” cravings, bloating, and feelings of withdrawal, a.k.a. “keto flu.”

“Clean” emphasizes quality, unprocessed, healthy fats, via cold-pressed oils. nuts and seeds. Your proteins are lean, wild, and pastured while carbohydrates must be restricted to the non-starchy, high-fiber variety and include a diverse range of colorful vegetables. Keto-adaptation is the goal and when you start to experience the physiological benefits of enhanced mental acuity, sustained energy, less discomfort, optimal recovery, feeling satiated not hungry, and less blood sugar volatility. When keto-adapted, blood markers improve, lowered triglycerides and higher HDLs is one example of improved insulin resistance. Include reduced inflammation and improved metabolic health, you have a real chance at living disease free!

Intermittent Fasting on Keto

Combining fasting with keto should be practiced for convenience, which facilitates sustainability and ultimately your results. While fat loss is usually both the most obvious and coveted result, fasting and keto will serve to accelerate all the other wonderful physiological benefits beyond the aesthetic.

It’s as simple as skipping breakfast, literally. Ask which fasting approach works for keto (rather than you) and here’s your answer: split each 24-hour period into an eating or fasting window. Start with a 16/8 split of 16 fasted hours to 8 eating hours. Strive to narrow down to a 14/10 split over time. If you have your first bite of food at 11am, your window is closed at 7pm, and nothing is consumed until 11am again the next day. Water, tea, and coffee being the only exceptions. The narrower the eating window, the more rapid the results, irrespective of the caloric intake consumed in aggregate.

Remaining in “clean” keto adaptation requires precision, both sourcing and allocating your macro-nutrients. Such precision requires effort and is significantly less taxing and more sustainable the less time it consumes. Once or twice a day is less consuming than an effort to be on point three to five times, over a fluid 12 to 16-hour period. Add life, with several moving parts and melodramas, and that’s a losing game! Intermittent fasting simply has proven critical to success on convenience alone.

 Final note – serious contraindications preclude many from safe keto. You must check with your Dr.


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The Gift of Magnesium


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Can we talk about magnesium for a minute?  Call me crazy, but I can get quite effusive when discussing this powerhouse macro mineral.  In the pantheon of essential minerals, magnesium, in my book, is nothing short of a superstar.  Of course, all the essential minerals are necessary for good health, and they all deserve their due, but hardworking magnesium is truly a miraculous substance — one that we would do well to focus on for the preservation of our own good health.

Every cell in our bodies needs magnesium to function.  It is essential for healthy bones, it helps with protein synthesis and energy creation, it regulates our metabolism, it supports DNA replication, and it modulates our nervous system and mood.  Magnesium is also responsible for keeping our cardiovascular system healthy, our blood sugar regulated, our immune system robust, and our muscles functioning properly.  All pretty impressive, right?  In fact, more than 300 biochemical reactions in the human body are powered by magnesium.  Yet, various studies have shown that anywhere from 50-80 percent of Americans may be magnesium deficient.

How Can This Be?

 Magnesium is everywhere.  It’s found in the earth, in the sea, in plants, and in animals.  It is the fourth most prevalent mineral in the human body, where it is stored in our bones and in the cells of our tissues and organs.  Fifty years ago, magnesium deficiency was a relatively rare phenomenon, most likely because people ate more whole, unrefined foods back then – especially leafy green vegetables — and were less susceptible to the effects of environmental toxins, chronic stress, and systemic inflammation than we are today.  Today’s widespread use of prescription medications and alcohol also contributes to magnesium depletion, as does a diet high in processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats.  Regular consumption of carbonated beverages and coffee also works against us in flushing magnesium out of our systems because of their diuretic properties.  In short, our modern lifestyle effectively sets us up for magnesium depletion.

How Do You Know If You’re Magnesium Deficient?

Are you feeling “wired and tired”?  Do you get muscle cramps or weakness, suffer from insomnia, have nervous tics, or experience an irregular heartbeat from time to time?  Do you get dizzy when you stand up too quickly, experience numbness or tingling in your hands, face, or feet, and/or do you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks?  All of these may be signs of magnesium deficiency, as are high blood-sugar levels, weak bones, a poor complexion, and digestive disorders.

But take heart!  Magnesium deficiency can easily be resolved, given proper attention to getting a sufficient supply of magnesium-rich foods in our daily diet, as well as possibly adding in a high-quality magnesium supplement.  If you begin incorporating some of the following foods in your normal eating regimen, you should soon feel the amazing benefits of the “magnesium boost”:  more energy, a sense of calm, better quality sleep, and fewer aches, pains, and digestive upset.  In short, having sufficient magnesium on board brings your whole body into better balance and alignment.

Best Food Sources for Magnesium

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of magnesium is 400-420 mgs/day for men and 310-320 mgs/day for women, an amount that should be easily attainable.  The following foods all serve as excellent sources of magnesium:

  • Pumpkin Seeds (150 mg per oz.)
  • Leafy Green Vegetables (especially Spinach, Kale, and Chard) (156 mg per cup/cooked)
  • Cashews (82 mg per oz.)
  • Almonds (80 mg per oz.)
  • Walnuts (45 mg per oz.)
  • Dark Chocolate (70-85% Cocoa) (64 mg per oz.)
  • Black beans, Adzuki beans, and Kidney beans (avg. 120 mg per cup/cooked)
  • Whole grains (especially Quinoa) (avg. 118 mg per cup/cooked)
  • Split Peas (71 mg per cup/cooked)
  • Avocados (58 mg per avocado/medium)
  • Fish (especially Halibut, Mackerel, and Salmon) (avg. 53 mg per half fillet)
  • Tofu (53 mg per 3.5 oz. serving)
  • Flaxseeds (40 mg per tbsp.)
  • Bananas (32 mg per banana/medium)

So, take some time out from your daily grind to make self-care a priority – including getting adequate doses of magnesium! Have a cup of hot cocoa, munch on some almonds, and savor the moments.  Life IS better when we FEEL better, and magnesium provides us an excellent path for doing that.  Don’t ignore the gift of good health that magnesium offers us.  A little attention to dietary change can go a long way.  Here’s to your health!


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What’s changed since Power of 10?


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Adam’s Serendipitous Career in Exercise

“I’ve made the mistake of not thinking for myself in a way, just following a strict protocol. Now, I still believe in the principles of lifting weights slowly and safely and there has to be a certain level of intensity, but that’s where the rules end.” Adam Zickerman, owner of Inform Fitness and author of Power of 10, speaks to HITuni about his story and how his perspective on exercise has changed over the years.

Adam has been a successful gym owner since the late 1990’s. In fact, 2018 marks his 21st year in the business of teaching the principles of sound strength training, but how did it all begin for him?

He had always been athletic as a kid and teen playing baseball, swimming, cycling and even pushing himself through triathlons. It was this athletic nature that initially led him into the world of strength training, seeking improved performance in his sporting endeavors.

As a motivated young man, Adam stuck with his physical regime even after entering the working world. At this point, he was exercising 5 days a week and could often be heard espousing the benefits of exercise to his more sedentary work colleagues. It was whilst looking to motivate his boss into starting exercise that Adam had a wake-up call of sorts. Obviously not a man to mince his words, Adam’s boss retorted with words to the effect “For all the exercise you do, you look like shit and as far as I can see your workouts are doing you more harm than good!”      READ MORE

Read HitUni.com’s blog post in a series featuring outstanding individuals from the HIT community who we spent some time with on our trip to the US earlier this year. In this post, we feature Adam Zickerman, owner of Inform Fitness and author of Power of Ten 10.


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Turkey Tacos


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MEAL PREP: Turkey Tacos

Right now is a really amazing time to be low carb, gluten, and grain free.  There are numerous companies that make alternate versions of your favorite carbs, and these days you won’t lose all of your friends for replacing rice, mashed potatoes, and pizza crust with cauliflower (only most of your friends).  I’m not big on prepackaged foods, but there’s a brand, Siete, that makes tortillas out of almond flour.  I used these Siete wraps for meal prep this week to make tacos.  One drawback of Paleo is that you really never get to eat with your hands, and while a taco salad is delicious and good for you, it’s still a salad.  I love biting into a taco and having its contents spill out all over me as much as the next guy, and thanks to Siete and companies like them, now I can!

 InForm Fitness: Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground turkey

2 red bell peppers

1 medium onion

Spinach

Guacamole

Siete almond flour wraps

Taco seasoning (recipe to follow.  If you want to use premade taco season, look at the ingredients.  A lot of companies (looking at you McCormick and Old El Paso) sneak vegetable oil, soy, and corn or potato starch into their spice mixes.  A taco seasoning shouldn’t have any of that stuff) 

 

Taco Seasoning

2 Tbsp Chili powder

1/2 Tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tsp onion powder

1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 Tsp oregano

1 Tsp paprika

3 Tsp cumin

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp pepper

 

1) Dice red peppers and onions, saute over medium high heat until tender

2) Add turkey over veggies and saute until just browned

3) Sprinkle spice mix over meat and veggies

4) Pour about 3/4 of a cup  of water over entire mixture to help distribute spices.  Mix it all up and let the water cook off

5) If using Siete wraps, you should nuke them in the microwave for around 15 seconds, this will soften them up and stop them from cracking on you

6) Put about 1/3 cup of taco meat onto wrap, garnish with spinach, 1 tablespoon of guacamole, and hot sauce

 

InForm Fitness: Turkey Tacos 

Meat (1/3 cup): 118 calories, 1.5 grams fat, 15 grams protein, 2.5 grams carbs

Siete Wrap (1 wrap): 100 calories, 5.5 grams fat, 3 grams protein, 10 grams carbs

Guacamole (1 Tbsp): 23 calories, 2 grams fat, 1 gram carbs

 

Per taco: 241 calories, 9 grams fat, 18 grams protein, 13.5 grams carbs

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Put Your Oxygen Mask Back On!


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Put Your Oxygen Mask Back On!

“What About Me?” is my summertime inner-self mantra! But rather than speak for anyone else (although surely many empathize), I will reflect on my own experiences. Summer is coming to a close – that’s a Season, not a three-month vacation. I realize now, the grass always appears greener, irrespective of the Season. Schools get out, life appears easier, but before I know it, I am salivating as the count-down to Fall matriculation starts with visions of the heavens parting as the school doors open.

As a mom, the summer season whips off my oxygen mask. My life is nearly unmanageable when schools are in session, with every day feeling like a marathon. That being my status quo, add Summer and the dysfunction unfolds exponentially. Yikes! The real question is how I prioritize myself, and namely my health and fitness, when I am also responsible for the wellbeing of many others, who have the free time I don’t? How do I defend my time, which is so scarce, and when everybody wants it? My answer is STRATEGY. My strategy is the same as always – to get my own oxygen mask on, again, and this time firmer than ever.

Take Care of Yourself Before Assisting Others

As Summer has proved, if I am not taking care of myself, I am unable to be of optimal service to my family and community. Summer has taken its toll on my metabolic health, to say nothing of my sanity. As I never have time to waste on any inefficiencies (especially since so few are even within my control), I need serious bang for my buck. Essentially, I will no longer settle for a strategy that yields less than the highest return, for the lowest level of risk, with only the minimal investment of my own. If I were describing an investment portfolio, you’d all be grabbing your checkbooks. But I am talking about strength training!

Absent this fictional time to waste, my “exercise” must stimulate a positive physiological adaptation that serves to enhance my fitness, without undermining my health. The activity must be safe, efficient and produce measurable metabolic results. While running and aerobics are physical activities, I question the risk (wear, tear and injury) versus the reward (positive physiological adaptation). And, to be honest, even if I loved to run, I don’t have the darned time.

Muscular Strength is My Armor

I armor up for life with muscular strength for optimal movement, energy and protection from injury. My skeletal muscles serve as the engine, chassis, and shock absorbers for my body. I assert, for me, that building muscle is the exercise for this modern working parent! And, it’s the best way to proactively combat the myriad problems associated with ageing, supercharge my metabolism and increase cardiovascular endurance.

Safe, efficient strength training is my oxygen mask. My metabolic health, functional ability and stamina ALL depend on my physical strength: the more muscular strength I have, the more I can do, and the better I will age (and the more fun I will have doing it).


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